Definitions for vernacularvərˈnæk yə lər, vəˈnæk-

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Random House Webster's College Dictionary

ver•nac•u•lar*vərˈnæk yə lər, vəˈnæk-(adj.)

  1. (of language) native or indigenous (opposed to literary or learned).

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  2. expressed or written in the native language of a place.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  3. of, pertaining to, or using such a language.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  4. using plain, everyday language.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  5. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of architectural vernacular.

    Category: Common Vocabulary, Architecture

  6. of or pertaining to the common name for a plant, animal, or other organism.

  7. (n.)the native speech or language of a place.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  8. the distinctive vocabulary of a class or profession.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  9. the plain variety of language in everyday use by ordinary people.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  10. the common name of a plant, animal, or other organism as distinguished from its Latin scientific name.

  11. a style of architecture exemplifying the commonest techniques, decorative features, and materials of a particular historical period, region, or group of people.

    Category: Common Vocabulary, Architecture

* Syn: See language.

Origin of vernacular:

1595–1605; < L vernācul(us) household, domestic, native

ver•nac′u•lar•ly(adv.)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. slang, cant, jargon, lingo, argot, patois, vernacular(noun)

    a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)

    "they don't speak our lingo"

  2. vernacular(adj)

    the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)

  3. common, vernacular, vulgar(adj)

    being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language

    "common parlance"; "a vernacular term"; "vernacular speakers"; "the vulgar tongue of the masses"; "the technical and vulgar names for an animal species"

Wiktionary

  1. vernacular(Noun)

    The language of a people, a national language.

    The vernacular of the United States is English.

  2. vernacular(Noun)

    Everyday speech, including colloquialisms, as opposed to literary or liturgical language.

    Street vernacular can be quite different from what is heard elsewhere.

  3. vernacular(Noun)

    Language unique to a particular group of people; jargon, argot.

    For those of a certain age, hiphop vernacular might just as well be a foreign language.

  4. vernacular(Noun)

    The indigenous language of a people, into which the words of the Roman Catholic mass are translated.

    Vatican II allowed the celebration of the mass in the vernacular.

  5. vernacular(Adjective)

    Of or pertaining to everyday language.

  6. Origin: From vernaculus, from verna.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Vernacular(adj)

    belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous; -- now used chiefly of language; as, English is our vernacular language

  2. Vernacular(noun)

    the vernacular language; one's mother tongue; often, the common forms of expression in a particular locality


Translations for vernacular

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

vernacular(adjective)

colloquial or informally conversational

vernacular speech/language.

Get even more translations for vernacular »


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